In the Name of Elijah Muhammad tells the story of the Nation of Islam—its rise in northern inner-city ghettos during the Great Depression through its decline following the death of Elijah Muhammad in 1975 to its rejuvenation under the leadership of Louis Farrakhan. Mattias Gardell sets this story within the context of African American social history, the legacy of black nationalism, and the long but hidden Islamic presence in North America. He presents with insight and balance a detailed view of one of the most controversial yet least explored organizations in the United States—and its current leader.Beginning with Master Farad Muhammad, believed to be God in Person, Gardell examines the origins of the Nation. His research on the period of Elijah Muhammad’s long leadership draws on previously unreleased FBI files that reveal a clear picture of the bureau’s attempts to neutralize the Nation of Islam. In addition, they shed new light on the circumstances surrounding the murder of Malcolm X. With the main part of the book focused on the fortunes of the Nation after Elijah Muhammad’s death, Gardell then turns to the figure of Minister Farrakhan. From his emergence as the dominant voice of the radical black Islamic community to his leadership of the Million Man March, Farrakhan has often been portrayed as a demagogue, bigot, racist, and anti-Semite. Gardell balances the media’s view of the Nation and Farrakhan with the Nation’s own views and with the perspectives of the black community in which the organization actively works. His investigation, based on field research, taped lectures, and interviews, leads to the fullest account yet of the Nation of Islam’s ideology and theology, and its complicated relations with mainstream Islam, the black church, the Jewish community, extremist white nationalists, and the urban culture of black American youth, particularly the hip-hop movement and gangs.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Mattias Gardell is Associate Professor in the Department of Theology at Uppsala University, Sweden.

REVIEWS

“A unique and unprecedented view of the enigma of Louis Farrakhan. In putting it together, Gardell has masterfully interwoven the information from an impressive collection of documents not treated by other scholars. His access to Farrakhan and the information make this a very special study.”—Yvonne Haddad, author of Muslims in America

“An outstanding work, In the Name of Elijah Muhammad provides an in-depth analysis of the most recent changes in leadership and structure of the Nation of Islam. Gardell’s theological/ideological discussion is brilliant and insightful, while the chapter on the FBI’s counterintelligence program on the Nation of Islam is a stroke of genius. Gardell’s research is comprehensive, well documented, and powerful.”—Clifton E. Marsh, author of From Black Muslims to Muslims

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1

Restoration of Dignity: The Rise of Black Nationalism

Black to Basics

A Black Moses in the House of Pharaoh

2

The Crescent of the Occident: Islam in Black America prior to 1930

Black Muslim Slaves and Scholars

Noble Drew All and the Moorish Gospel

3

The Genesis of the Nation of Islam

Behold, I Will Send You Elijah

A Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness

A Nation of Islam

The Image of a Voodoo Cult in an Urban Jungle

Muhammad is the Messenger of God

Champions for Allah

4

Forces of Evil

An Asiatic Assault on Babylon

Exposing the Nation

X Terminated

A Federal Conspiracy to Neutralize the Nation of Islam

Knights of Americanism and the Threat of Black Islam

5

The Fall of the Nation

Until Death Do Us Part

Rapid Islamization Transit

To Dismantle an Empire

Religion, Perception, and Change

6

The Resurrection of the Nation of Islam

From the Nightclub to the Mosque

The Fall and Resurrection of the Nation of Islam

Kinship, Scripture, and Strategies of Legitimation

The Messiah Has Finally Come

The Black Path of Redemption

Rebuilding the Black House

7

A Nation of Gods: The Creed of Black Islam

The Creation of the Heavens and the Earth

Demonogony: The Making of a Devil

Gods Making Evil: The Problem of Theodicy

Death Rides a Pale Horse and Hell Follows with Him

The Sleeping Beauty and the Prince of Love

The Wheel and Satan, the Challenger

Apocalypse Now

Religion, Logic, and Configurations of Belief

There Are but How Many Gods?

Proving the Creed: Religion and Science

The Mathematical Code of Islam

What is New in New Religions?

8

The Sun of Islam Will Rise in the West

Allah's Gradual Approach

Follow Bilal into Paradise

Qadhdhafi and the Third Universal Theory

Islamic Reformer and World Transformer, Qadhdhafi's Twin Role

Qadhdhafi and the Nation of Islam

The Lost Found Nation of Islam

The Five Percent Nation of Islam

The Nubian Islaamic Hebrews: The Ansaaru Allah Community

9

Strained Seeds of Abraham: Is the NOI an Anti-Christian, Anti-Semitic Nazi Cult?

Christendoom and Crucifiction

Black Bridge over Troubled Waters

Blacks, Jews, and the Nation of Islam

From Dirty Religion Blues to Mendelssohn Violin Concerto

Anti-Semites or Anti-Satanites?

The Nazi Connection

10

A Divine Nation in a Decaying World

Gangland Gangstas Turning Gods

The Hip-Hop Mission

When Something Wrong In tha Hood, Who Are You Gonna Call?

The NOI Prison Reform Ministry: Let My People Go

40 Acres and a Mule

Vote Black Muslim for Congress

Farewell to Welfare: The Black POWER of the Nation of Islam

Exit by Reeducation: Road to Freedom

Artificial Disease and Natural Health Care

“It's a God in the House”: Black Islamic Family Ideals

Justicia Niger

The Quest for Black Reunification

Children of Armageddon, or, To Civilize the Uncivilized

Notes

Bibliography

Index

REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE

If you are a student who cannot use this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you
with an electronic file for alternative access.

Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form.

In the Name of Elijah Muhammad tells the story of the Nation of Islam—its rise in northern inner-city ghettos during the Great Depression through its decline following the death of Elijah Muhammad in 1975 to its rejuvenation under the leadership of Louis Farrakhan. Mattias Gardell sets this story within the context of African American social history, the legacy of black nationalism, and the long but hidden Islamic presence in North America. He presents with insight and balance a detailed view of one of the most controversial yet least explored organizations in the United States—and its current leader.Beginning with Master Farad Muhammad, believed to be God in Person, Gardell examines the origins of the Nation. His research on the period of Elijah Muhammad’s long leadership draws on previously unreleased FBI files that reveal a clear picture of the bureau’s attempts to neutralize the Nation of Islam. In addition, they shed new light on the circumstances surrounding the murder of Malcolm X. With the main part of the book focused on the fortunes of the Nation after Elijah Muhammad’s death, Gardell then turns to the figure of Minister Farrakhan. From his emergence as the dominant voice of the radical black Islamic community to his leadership of the Million Man March, Farrakhan has often been portrayed as a demagogue, bigot, racist, and anti-Semite. Gardell balances the media’s view of the Nation and Farrakhan with the Nation’s own views and with the perspectives of the black community in which the organization actively works. His investigation, based on field research, taped lectures, and interviews, leads to the fullest account yet of the Nation of Islam’s ideology and theology, and its complicated relations with mainstream Islam, the black church, the Jewish community, extremist white nationalists, and the urban culture of black American youth, particularly the hip-hop movement and gangs.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Mattias Gardell is Associate Professor in the Department of Theology at Uppsala University, Sweden.

REVIEWS

“A unique and unprecedented view of the enigma of Louis Farrakhan. In putting it together, Gardell has masterfully interwoven the information from an impressive collection of documents not treated by other scholars. His access to Farrakhan and the information make this a very special study.”—Yvonne Haddad, author of Muslims in America

“An outstanding work, In the Name of Elijah Muhammad provides an in-depth analysis of the most recent changes in leadership and structure of the Nation of Islam. Gardell’s theological/ideological discussion is brilliant and insightful, while the chapter on the FBI’s counterintelligence program on the Nation of Islam is a stroke of genius. Gardell’s research is comprehensive, well documented, and powerful.”—Clifton E. Marsh, author of From Black Muslims to Muslims

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1

Restoration of Dignity: The Rise of Black Nationalism

Black to Basics

A Black Moses in the House of Pharaoh

2

The Crescent of the Occident: Islam in Black America prior to 1930

Black Muslim Slaves and Scholars

Noble Drew All and the Moorish Gospel

3

The Genesis of the Nation of Islam

Behold, I Will Send You Elijah

A Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness

A Nation of Islam

The Image of a Voodoo Cult in an Urban Jungle

Muhammad is the Messenger of God

Champions for Allah

4

Forces of Evil

An Asiatic Assault on Babylon

Exposing the Nation

X Terminated

A Federal Conspiracy to Neutralize the Nation of Islam

Knights of Americanism and the Threat of Black Islam

5

The Fall of the Nation

Until Death Do Us Part

Rapid Islamization Transit

To Dismantle an Empire

Religion, Perception, and Change

6

The Resurrection of the Nation of Islam

From the Nightclub to the Mosque

The Fall and Resurrection of the Nation of Islam

Kinship, Scripture, and Strategies of Legitimation

The Messiah Has Finally Come

The Black Path of Redemption

Rebuilding the Black House

7

A Nation of Gods: The Creed of Black Islam

The Creation of the Heavens and the Earth

Demonogony: The Making of a Devil

Gods Making Evil: The Problem of Theodicy

Death Rides a Pale Horse and Hell Follows with Him

The Sleeping Beauty and the Prince of Love

The Wheel and Satan, the Challenger

Apocalypse Now

Religion, Logic, and Configurations of Belief

There Are but How Many Gods?

Proving the Creed: Religion and Science

The Mathematical Code of Islam

What is New in New Religions?

8

The Sun of Islam Will Rise in the West

Allah's Gradual Approach

Follow Bilal into Paradise

Qadhdhafi and the Third Universal Theory

Islamic Reformer and World Transformer, Qadhdhafi's Twin Role

Qadhdhafi and the Nation of Islam

The Lost Found Nation of Islam

The Five Percent Nation of Islam

The Nubian Islaamic Hebrews: The Ansaaru Allah Community

9

Strained Seeds of Abraham: Is the NOI an Anti-Christian, Anti-Semitic Nazi Cult?

Christendoom and Crucifiction

Black Bridge over Troubled Waters

Blacks, Jews, and the Nation of Islam

From Dirty Religion Blues to Mendelssohn Violin Concerto

Anti-Semites or Anti-Satanites?

The Nazi Connection

10

A Divine Nation in a Decaying World

Gangland Gangstas Turning Gods

The Hip-Hop Mission

When Something Wrong In tha Hood, Who Are You Gonna Call?

The NOI Prison Reform Ministry: Let My People Go

40 Acres and a Mule

Vote Black Muslim for Congress

Farewell to Welfare: The Black POWER of the Nation of Islam

Exit by Reeducation: Road to Freedom

Artificial Disease and Natural Health Care

“It's a God in the House”: Black Islamic Family Ideals

Justicia Niger

The Quest for Black Reunification

Children of Armageddon, or, To Civilize the Uncivilized

Notes

Bibliography

Index

REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE

If you are a student who cannot use this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you
with an electronic file for alternative access.

Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form.